Mega Millions players surprised by new format

A change in lottery game will bring higher numbers and bigger jackpots.

(Daily Press file photo )

October 24, 2013|By Mike Holtzclaw, mholtzclaw@dailypress.com

A change in the format of the Mega Millions lottery game left some players confused when the number 71 turned up in Tuesday night's drawing.

For almost 20 years, players have chosen five numbers from 1-56, as well as a "mega ball" between 1-46. Under the new format, which debuted on Tuesday night, players choose five numbers from 1-75 and a mega ball from 1-15.

Virginia Lottery executive director Paula Otto said the Mega Millions Consortium made the change in order to create larger payouts.

"There are two ways to get bigger jackpots," Otto said. "You can increase the price, which is what the Powerball game did, but we found in our research that players like the dollar price. So to keep the game at a dollar and still get bigger jackpots, we changed the matrix of how you play."

Otto said under the new format, it is harder for players to win the biggest jackpot but easier to come away with smaller prizes. In particular, players are now three times more likely to win $1 for matching the mega ball.

Mega Millions is played in 43 states, as well as in Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands. It is run by a consortium of lottery offices from the 12 states that originated the game, including Virginia.

Otto said the new format was primarily advertised in displays at stores where lottery tickets are sold.